Notorious Royal Marriages

　　A funny, raucous, and delightfully dirty 900-yearhistory of the royal marriages of Europe's most famous-andinfamous-monarchs.　　Since time immemorial, royal marriages have had littleto do with love- and almost everything to do with diplomacy anddynasty. Clashing personalities have joined in unholy matrimony toform such infamous couples as Russia's Peter II and Catherine theGreat, and France's Henri II and Catherine de Medici-all with thepurpose of begetting a male heir. But with tensions high andsilverware flying, kings like England's Henry II have fled to thebeds of their nubile mistresses, while queens such as Eleanor ofAquitaine have plotted their revenge...　　Full of the juicy gossip and bad behavior that characterizedRoyal Affairs, this book chronicles the love-hate marriagesof the crowned heads of Europe-from the Angevins to Charles andDi-and ponders how dynasties ever survived at all.